


The Burger Prince

by Hasegawa



Series: DCU Drabbles: Lost Stars [3]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Freeform, It's fast food, M/M, Tim Drake is a good manager, Tim is running away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hasegawa/pseuds/Hasegawa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After running away, life brought him to the weirdest thing ever; and Tim became a manager in a small burger joint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Burger Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a filler; but if people like it, I might incorporated the burger joint to the next parts

Tim didn’t know how he ended up being the manager of a burger joint, but life is never fair with him and honestly, after trying to keep the Bats and Young Justice alive, a burger joint is way more relaxed.

 

He ended up in a place with 7 hour away from Gotham. He used his fake identities and purchased 25 tickets—then randomly chose one, entering the plane, and he ended up there. He had no idea how to go from there. The man sitting beside him at the plane was so nosy, keep asking Tim about himself even though Tim has pointedly close his eye mask to signal “I need my sleep, go away”. Because it was a random choice, Tim ended up in economy class, and dear Bats, nobody should be allowed to fly commercial for that long in a Commercial Class. Tim felt stiff the whole way through, and he sensed that the man beside him tried to feel him up. He just didn’t know about Tim’s triple layered shirt, and thus unable to touch Tim.

 

He got a taxi right after he got his suitcases; the man was standing beside him the whole way, offering ride to the city and such. Tim smiled politely and went into the taxi, which brought him to the middle of the city. Nothing was opened in the morning (it was only 5 o’clock) and even the earliest café has yet to open their door. Tim ended up sitting in a 24 hours burger joint, sipping on cheap coffee that taste like piss water. He sighed at the seat, so dirty and sticky nd full of germs that he might puke…. Tim took a deep breath to calm himself down; but it was the wrong move because the smell of greasy potatoes filled his lung. Tim has lost his spleen and maybe this will kill him, finally.

 

Then something happened, either by chance or maybe just normal. One of the worker (there were only 3 employees there) walked out of the counter, throwing away his head piece.

 

“Fuck this shit! I aint gonna work for you anymore!”

 

“Come back yoU! Don’t you dare…!” An overweight lady called back, face red with anger.

 

But the man just walked through the door—and that was it. the lady huff, catching her breath even though it was only a short walk. Tim shrugged and sipped on his coffee again.

 

“…What should we do?” the other employee-a young boy asked. Tim squinted, he was sure this boy is underage. He shouldn’t be working, especially at this hour of the day. “We cannot do this…”

 

“You just shut up and do what I tell you.” The lady harshly told the boy and the boy hurriedly returned to the kitchen. Then she turned to Tim.

 

“Hi. You.”

 

“Me?” Tim pointed at himself.

 

“Yeah, you. You seemed like in need of a job. Want to try? I pay 5 dollars an hour.”

 

Tim doesn’t need the money. He doesn’t need the job, especially in place like this. But… but maybe the flight has ruined his common sense, maybe the coffee has dulled his intelligence, maybe his head is broken. That’s why he ended up saying ok, and started to work there.

 

 

* * *

 

It was a weird, novel experience.

 

Tim never thought much about fast food joint. Even though it sells bad food with no nutrition value, it was considered one of the staple food for Gotham, especially for the dirt poor areas. And so, it never crossed Tim’s mind to dig deeper on the fast food.

 

It was funny how it all changed. He learned the counter pretty fast—it was nothing as complicated as the Bat Plane Panel, thank you very much—and started to be the counter guy. Business strated to pick up especially after 6:45 am, with the morning zombies coming for their breakfast wrap and greasy food to keep their eyes up. Tim served them with accuracy and efficiency of a Red Robin, of course, but the thing is, the only one working in the kitchen was the boy—called Collin—who even though hardworking, was not as smart as an average Robin. Tim started to do both front and back, taking orders, handling money, preparing the food and then serving them—al by himself. He asked Collin to clean up the seats.

 

Tim did it so naturally efficient and fast that he was always welcomed with an awed look from the customers when they collect their orders. Some left some generous tips while some other blinked like owls when they received their breakfast menus. Several even asked him his phone number. Tim ignored the last like they were flies because he was never popular, so these people must be scammers or weirdos who like to ask stranger’s phone number.

 

By noon, Tim admits maybe the menial job is almost as tiring as working as a vigilante. At least as Red Robin he still have time to perch on the top of the building, watching. This job left no time to think, it was so mind numbingly busy. And Tim felt good. Yes, it made him forget about why he was there at all.

 

When the lady—Jenny, her name was Jenny—told him he could take his lunch break of half an hour, Tim sat on the back and made himself a salad from the better part of the leaves. He swore these leaves are so sad, but he couldn’t eat any other thing. He didn’t want to get sick.

 

“You are good.” Jenny told him when he was eating his sad salad. “How about keep working here?”

 

Why not? The work is mind numbing and very easy. Tim needs a break. And the Bats wouldn’t search for him in a small burger joint. Even Todd wouldn’t eat in this place. So yeah, Tim nodded and he started working there.

 

* * *

 

 

Ever since Tim came, the burger joint became more popular. Tim might not be aware, but he became a small sensations for the locals (the one who lived off the cheap unhealthy burgers, the one who comes there because they worked nearby, and people who came by chance but ended up returning just to see him). Firstly they were mesmerized on the beauty of the counter boy—Tim looks androgynous enough with his long-ish hair and slender figure. Second, he is very efficient and the burger somehow tasted better when he made it. Furthermore, the joint became even cleaner because the anal-retentive Tim needs to clean up from end to end every day.

 

Greta was very happy—and then her boss came to inspect the sudden increase in business, and was given a dress down by Tim. Tim unabashedly showed how bad the condition was, the underpaid and badly treated employees, just the bad quality management all over. Jenny’s face was flushed so red when Tim showed it all, but she has nothing to defend herself with. The next day, Jenny was fired.

 

She looked at Tim with beady eyes full of hatred.

 

Tim became the manager—and he made a lot of changes. He hired real people who wanted to work and honest; he ensured the cleanliness of the joint, and he made sure every food come out from the kitchen actually is edible and with good food grade quality. It wasn’t much profitable at first, but the sale picked up, and by the end of the second month, Tim managed to double the sale from previous month.

 

It was a good two months of heavy menial work and mind numbing management, and for once after Tim found Kon cheating on him, he could laugh. Tim laughed openly when one of the new workers made a funny joke about fast food. It made the rest of the team blushed, and they started to flail and told Tim he looked better when he laughed. It was weird for Tim, because even though they were his employees, most of them are older than him.

 

The joint became a successful joint, and Tim enjoyed the daily normal life it brought for him.

 

But sometimes he wondered whether he could hide much longer. If Batman was searching for him, two months would be ample time to finally spot Tim, even though Tim was hiding under a very small, normal burger joint. But two months in, and no news from Batman. So maybe… maybe Batman wasn’t looking for him at all.

 

Did he care about Tim, at all?

 

So Dick—Richard, Richard Grayson now—was lying. They didn’t care about Tim. Tim was…. Tim was just…

 

_Replacement._

Ah, it hurts and refreshing. To finally found out about the truth. Tim was not as important as he fancied himself to be. It was sad.

 

And liberating to know.

 

So now Tim really has no real reason to keep pinning for love or affection, or even just a tiny bit attention from the Bats. Because Tim wasn’t family. Tim wasn’t Ohana. So Tim gets left behind.

 

It was… sad.

 

Tim shook his head and continued working, this time cleaning the premises with Collins. It was their morning ritual together.

 

“You look sad. Can I help?” Collins asked earnestly, and Tim liked him more and more for that. The boy was genuine and a bit pitiful. He was one of the better kid from the scum, but his mother butchered his brain when he was still inside her womb with drugs; so the boy was kind of slow and unable to perform academically. That’s why he ended up working in a burger joint, underage.

 

“Thanks Collins. You are very nice.” Tim smiled.

 

“I like when you smile. You are pretty.” Collins smiled back, showing two missing front teeth.

 

“…What happened with your teeth?” Tim asked.

 

“Ah.” Collins closed his lips. “I… I fell yesterday.”

 

“Silly boy.” Tim pulled him and saw the evidence of domestic violence on his face. Tim winced slightly and swore to look deeper into Collin’s file

 

And then the door was opened, so Tim let go and turned to greet the customer.

 

Only to find Conner standing there, with his superboy t-shirt and jeans, looking lost.

 

Tim caught unguarded.

 

He did what his heart told him to.

 

He ran.

 

 

 

  

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Thank you for reading!


End file.
